


All Was Well

by fallingforboys



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Battle of Hogwarts, Good Slytherins, Hogwarts Sixth Year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:41:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24950968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallingforboys/pseuds/fallingforboys
Summary: The final battle has begun. Alliances have shifted, and things aren't always what they seem.Especially certain Slytherins.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 4
Kudos: 80





	All Was Well

An explosion to Hermione’s right startled her, and she jumped, trying to avoid the debris coming towards her. All around her spells were flying, a blend of reds, blues, and greens. 

“Harry, watch out!” she screamed at her friend when she saw a man aim at him. Luckily, Ron was right next to him and sent the body-binding curse at the angry Death Eater. Hermione sighed in relief as Harry thanked his best mate. 

The battle had started a while ago, but it seemed no closer to finishing than it had been at the beginning. Both sides fought with determination, determined that their side was the right one. As a result, the battle had not swayed in either direction, staying at a frustrating stalemate. 

As more and more Death Eaters began to move towards their direction, Hermione looked at Harry and Ron, her two best friends, and she knew that if it came down to sacrificing herself so they would live, she would do it in a heartbeat. The annoying thing is that she knew they would too. The three friends formed a tight circle, backs to each other, ready for the incoming attack. 

A green light rocketed towards Hermione, and the fight began. She quickly threw up a shield and sent a hex back. Soon, Hermione’s muscle memory took over and she was throwing hexes and jinxes left and right, as the Death Eaters kept coming. At one point, the circle they had formed broke apart, and her and Ron faced in one direction while Harry faced the other. 

Hermione didn’t know how long they stood there, dodging curses while firing their own, trying to avoid the fate she knew too many had succumbed to already in this war. As she finished taking down the man in front of her, she realized that there was no one left to attack them. Suddenly, Ron’s shout pierced the air.

“Hermione, behind you!”

“ _Protego!_ ” That voice. She knew that voice. 

She turned around and saw a brown-haired boy casting a hex at the Death Eater that had tried to kill her. Her eyes widened as she recognized the man. It was Nott Senior. The boy looked up and for the first time in a year, Hermione found herself staring at Theodore Nott. 

“Better luck next time, _Father_.” he said to the body on the ground, sneering. 

“Theo!” Hermione exclaimed, running over to hug him, “I could kiss you right now.”

An amused snort came from her right. 

“Careful, Granger,” a voice drawled, “We don’t want our dear Theo slaughtered by a certain blond, do we?” 

Hermione rolled her eyes. “How do you manage to be a prat even in the middle of a war Blaise?” The Italian wizard grinned, and slung one arm around her and the other around Theo, pulling them together. 

“You could just admit you missed us this year,” Blaise chirped. His face turned serious, “We missed you. We didn’t even know if you were alive.” Hermione’s heart sank in guilt. She had been so caught up in finding Horcruxes, she didn’t even think about letting her Slytherin friends know about where she was. 

She looked up at the two wizards. “This year has been mad, we were on the run looking for things that would help us defeat Voldemort,” she explained, sighing, “I should’ve told you guys, I’m sorry.” 

Blaise squeezed her shoulder, while Theo nodded. “We get it, Gryffindor Princess,” he teased, “The Golden Trio has a savior complex that even we can’t compete with. Bloody Gryffindors.” Hermione shoved him lightly, annoyed at the nickname she so desperately hated. Her eyes flickered over to Ron and Harry.

_Shit._

Ron, whose outburst Hermione had anticipated, did not seem confused, to her surprise. His jaw was clenched slightly, but other than that, he made no comment on the two Slytherins next to her. No, Ron was not the reason Hermione cursed in her head.

Harry’s eyes were wide, and his mouth opened and closed, trying to find the words he was looking for. 

“How- When did this even- Zabini and Nott- _Why?_ ” he ended, incredulity coloring his voice.

Blaise whispered in Hermione’s ear, “I wish I had a camera right now, his face is _priceless_.” She scowled at him.

“You’re not helping,” she hissed under her breath, and turned to her dark-haired friend, who seemed one second away from exploding.

“It was in sixth year. I had Ancient Runes with Theo, and we started studying together in the library, and eventually Blaise joined,” she began, realizing that this was probably not the best time for this conversation, but she didn’t want Harry firing a a hex at the two Slytherins when her back was turned. “Although Blaise flirted with the fifth years more than he studied.” Theo snorted, while Blaise rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want. But I would like to point out that it was _my_ experience that got Dra-” Hermione’s sharp glare cut him off. 

Hermione’s wish that Harry would be oblivious to Blaise’s slip was not granted. She could see the wheels turning in his head as he looked between her and Blaise.

“Zabini said Nott would be slaughtered by a blond,” the spectacled boy muttered, “And hex me if I’m wrong, but he was definitely about to say Draco.” Hermione winced. _Guess all my secrets are coming out._

“Potter, you may be the Boy-Who-Lived, but if you couldn’t tell that Granger was acting weird in sixth year, you are more oblivious than I thought,” Theo remarked, and Ron snorted.

Harry swiveled to his best mate. “You knew?” he asked in disbelief. Ron shook his head.

“I didn’t know who she was meeting, but it was obvious she had _someone._ ” Ron looked at Hermione, and she saw the hint of hurt in his eyes. “She kept sneaking off, saying she was studying, or meeting another professor. Even I knew that she couldn’t have been studying _that_ much.”

“Ron-” Hermione started to apologize.

“Hermione.” Ron was still looking at her, but his eyes had softened, making her feel even worse. “You’re allowed to have other friends. I don’t know why you decided _these_ two were worth your time, but I trust you.” Hermione wondered when Ron had matured, because she was sure she had never seen this side of him before. A soft smile appeared on his face. “Maybe if I asked you to Yule in fourth year, things might have turned out differently, huh?” he questioned, and she heard the unspoken words he held back. _Draco Malfoy._

Harry’s eyes shifted back and forth between his two friends. Theo and Blaise seemed to understand the weight of this moment, and held back any rude comments.

Hermione’s eyes watered as she looked at her friend, who in an alternate universe, might have been the one for her. But not in this one. “I love you Ronald Weasely. And I always will. But not in that way,” she grabbed his hand, “You deserve a witch who will give everything you want, but it isn’t me. Once upon a time I thought it could be-” 

Her voice broke and she wiped a tear from her eye, her emotions overwhelming her. “That witch isn’t me. But you’ll find someone who is, and I’ll be right by your side when you do.” Ron wrapped his arms around her, quieting her crying. 

Harry’s voice broke through the silence. “ _Draco Malfoy,_ really Hermione?” Snickers broke out in the group, and Ron tossed an arm around Harry’s shoulder. Blaise sensed the lightened mood, and took the opportunity to poke fun at the Boy Who Lived. 

“C’mon Potter, with the way you stalked Malfoy last year, I’m surprised you didn’t catch these two together,” Blaise’s eyes turned mischievous, “They snogged _everywhere_. I caught them in the Prefect’s bathroom once, and-”

“One more word and you can say goodbye to any future kids Zabini,” Hermione warned, pointing her wand in his direction. Blaise raised his hands to surrender, but continued to snicker. 

Suddenly, the strange group of Slytherins and Gryffindors were shaken out of their little bubble when they heard a shout signaling the arrival of more Death Eaters. Their smiles dropped, and the five of them grasped their wands, prepared for the fight coming their way. 

***

It’s been minutes, hours, Hermione didn’t know. They’ve been fighting for what felt like an eternity, and she was about to collapse from exhaustion. Following Blaise and Theo, other Slytherins joined the fight on their side, determined to redeem the house’s bad reputation. Hermione was not surprised to see Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass next to Theo, firing hex after hex at the people that they once looked up to. 

If sixth year had taught her anything, it was that there was always more than what showed on the surface with Slytherins. They would hide their emotions, painting on a scowl and pretending they hated everyone while underneath, they were waging a war against their family, beliefs, traditions, everything they knew. The memory of the first time she saw Draco’s mask break floated to the front of her brain.

***

_Hermione sat down at the table with the three Slytherins, putting her bag on the chair next to her. Her and Theo’s friendship had inevitably brought her closer to Zabini and Malfoy, the latter trying to avoid her eye like his life depended on it._

_“Did you finish Snape’s essay yet?” she asked Malfoy, attempting a civil conversation with him, because she was too tired to fight him tonight. Malfoy’s mouth tightened, seemingly annoyed at the fact that she was talking to him._

_“No.” And that was that. The rest of the night continued in a similar fashion, Hermione trying to ask him school-related questions, and him uttering one-worded responses. She didn’t know why she wanted Malfoy to talk to her, but ever since she had gotten closer to Theo and as a result, the other two Slytherins, she realized that Malfoy intrigued her. He was an enigma, and who didn’t like to solve a mystery?_

_Hermione huffed, irritated that her mission to unravel Draco Malfoy was not working. She saw Blaise and Theo exchange small smirks at her expense, and grew even more annoyed._

_“Is it because I’m a_ mudblood _?” she finally asked, “Is that why you avoid me? Because if it is, I apologize. And I can leave, I can tell you don’t want me here. Theo, I’ll see you in class tomorrow.” She waved her wand, and her books flew into her bag. She pushed her chair back, ready to get up, when she suddenly found herself unable to stand up._

_She looked up to find Malfoy’s wand in his hand, his eyes hard. Blaise’s and Theo’s smirks had dropped, and their eyes shifted nervously between the two._

_“You used a,” Hermione shrieked, but immediately lowered her voice at Madam Pince’s glare, “You used a sticking charm on me?” Anger and incredulity rushed through her, but one corner of her mind betrayed her, slightly impressed at Malfoy’s nonverbal magic._

_“The problem with Gryffindors,” Draco began, and Hermione felt the ice in his voice, “is that you lot let your emotions determine your actions.”_

_“Thank you for insulting me Malfoy. I appreciate it, but I have to go now,” Hermione unstuck herself, suddenly feeling more exhausted than she already was._

_“Sit.” Hermione looked at Draco, fury evident on her face._

_“I am not a bloody_ dog _, Malfoy. And why should I listen to whatever you have to say when you haven’t given me even a second of your attention?” Hermione knew she sounded childish, but she wasn’t trying to be petty, she was just tired of wasting time on someone who clearly was still caught up in his blood purity beliefs._

_Draco stared at her. She held his gaze, not willing to back down from whatever game they were playing. After thirty seconds, he opened his mouth._

_“The Dark Lord moved into the Manor over the summer.” At those words, Hermione saw the fight inside of him leaving, and he lowered his gaze, staring at the parchment in front of him._

_“Did you- Are you a-” she started, but hesitated, not wanting him to close off again._

_“My aunt held me down. The others seemed to enjoy it, the Malfoy heir, forced to suffer for his father’s mistake,” Draco chuckled bitterly and lifted his head, and she almost gasped out loud. His eyes were_ lifeless. _“My father didn’t do anything of course. He could only watch as his only son was marked for life by a madman.”_

_For once in her life, words failed Hermione. She stood speechless as Draco continued._

_“He would bring in these captured muggleborns. He took away their wands and hung them upside down over the dining table. And then he would make everyone watch as he tortured them. And I realized that-” he cut off, swallowing as his eyes glistened with unshed tears, “I realized that everyone’s blood is red when it’s on the dining table I used to eat at when I was a child.”_

_Draco looked at Hermione and a chill ran through her at his stare. “To answer your question, it’s not because you’re muggleborn. I stopped believing in blood purity the first time I saw him torturing a muggleborn. The first thought that ran through my head was that it could’ve been you.” Hermione gasped at his words. “It could’ve been you hanging there, and I knew that I didn’t believe in blood purity, because even though you annoyed me, even though you punched me in third year, I could not wish you dead.”_

_Hermione moved, Draco’s eyes following her, until she was standing next to him, and she looked down at the face of the boy who didn’t have a choice. The boy who was forced into a war by beliefs that were not his own._

_She hugged him. His head was against her stomach, and her hands ran through his hair, attempting to comfort him._

_“You are not your father, Draco. You can be better. You_ are _better, because you don’t think I should be dead.” Hermione felt his tears soaking into her shirt, but she held him tighter, knowing that he had held everything in for so long, and he needed this release._

_She held Draco for the loss of his father, even though he wasn’t dead. She held him for the choices he never had the chance to make. She held him for the things he saw in his childhood home, things no one should see, let alone a child._

_And when Theo and Blaise joined in with somber faces, she held the three Slytherins for the loss of their childhood innocence she knew they would never get back._

***

She knew what the Slytherins had to hold in. Theo’s father, if he could even be called that, had murdered Theo’s mother in cold blood and forced Theo to watch, the only reason being that she tried to help Theo when his father had beaten him. 

Blaise’s mom was not directly involved with the Death Eaters, but his current stepfather was close to Nott Senior. As a result, Blaise had been on the end of his stepfather’s drunken violence more than once. 

When Theo and Blaise had shared this with her, fury had raged through her, and it took both of them and Draco to calm her down enough to not be kicked out of the library. The next time they were at the library to study, four days later, she had made three shirts, emerald green that had _Property of Hermione Granger_ stitched on them in silver. 

The boys had stared at her like she had just said she was in love with the Giant Squid. 

***

_“You boys clearly have not had the best families growing up, ones that were there for you no matter what, so I have decided that I’m going to be that family. For all of you.” The three Slytherins continued to stare at her incredulously. “If you tap the words on the shirt with your wand and say Auxilium, it sends me a signal immediately. If you ever need help, I’ll be there.”_

_Draco cleared his throat. “That’s impressive magic, Granger.” She smiled, she knew she was well on her way to falling for Draco Malfoy, but she didn’t want to dwell on the consequences of_ that _right now._

_“Hermione.” Theo’s voice was quiet, quieter than she had ever heard before, and as she turned towards him, she noticed a tear making it’s way down his cheek. Theodore Nott didn’t cry. Ever. But here he was, with tears in his eyes. “Thank you for taking a chance on three fucked up Slytherins who don’t deserve you.”_

_Hermione laid her head on Theo’s shoulder and squeezed his hand. “You deserve everything. You are not the bad guys here, you never were, okay? So you lot better stop saying that before I hex you.” Draco chuckled, having been on the end of her wand enough times to know her threat was potent._

_Blaise had been quiet ever since she took out the shirts, and Hermione was worried. Blaise Zabini was not a quiet person. When she glanced at him, his face was the most serious it had ever been in front of her. His mouth moved, words failing the boy who always had something to say. He grabbed her hand, and stared into her eyes. The unspoken words were left hanging in the air, but he didn’t need to say them._

_Hermione understood. She always did._

***

The Slytherins’ entry had shifted the balance in the battle. More and more Death Eaters were falling, the tide of the war changed by the same people who had once reverently believed in the other side. 

Hermione had still not seen Draco yet, although she had seen almost every other Slytherin on the battleground. However, as another Death Eater aimed at her, thoughts of the blond wizard vanished from her mind, and she focused her attention on trying not to die. 

“Ron!” Harry’s shout was urgent, and Hermione looked over to her spectacled friend to see him fighting three Death Eaters at once, struggling to stay upright. Her eyes moved to the left, and she saw Ron on his knees, his wand a few feet away. The Death Eater in front of him smirked, but Ron’s glare was defiant. 

Hermione’s distracted state allowed the man she was currently fighting to disarm her and he quickly cast a jinx, and she dropped to the ground. She quickly glanced at Harry to see him still fighting. 

“Well, well, well, look who it is,” the Death Eater standing above Ron sang, “The ginger blood traitor. Do you have any last words, _blood traitor_?” Hermione stared, ensnared by the scene, as Ron looked at the Death Eater and spat in his face. 

“You brat!” The man raised his wand and pointed it at Ron. Hermione’s heart sank. Harry had shot a curse at the man that disarmed her, but not before he had cast a _Petrificus Totalus_ on her, leaving her useless, and Harry was too busy with his own fight to reverse the spell. She watched, hopeless, as the Death Eater’s mouth opened.

“Ava-”

“Sectumsempra!” 

The man fell to the ground, blood gushing out of the cuts on his body, writhing in pain. Hermione knew who saved Ron before she looked. There were only two other people besides Harry, Ron, and her that knew that spell. 

Gray eyes stared into hers, and with a wave of his wand, Hermione was released from the body bind. She slowly rose to her feet, her gaze not wavering from the eyes that held her captive. And all of a sudden, she was running to him. She collided into his body, her arms wrapping around his torso as she held him. She felt more than heard his chuckle as he brought his arms around her waist. 

“Thanks Malfoy.” Ron had grabbed his wand, and now stood uncomfortably in front of them as they unwrapped their arms from each other.

“It seems that I have picked up the habit of saving Weasleys today,” Draco commented, and Ron’s head snapped up so fast, Hermione swore she heard a crack. At Ron’s questioning glance, Draco continued, “One of the twins. I don’t know which one, so don’t bother asking. He’s fine now, but your mother was quite hysterical when she saw me. Luckily the Weaselette saw that I _helped_ him, and calmed her down.” 

Ron clasped Draco’s shoulder, and no words were spoken, but Draco nodded. _Merlin, we really have grown up._

“Auxilium!” Theo’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts, and she saw him struggling against four Death Eaters. Draco dropped his forehead against hers, and closed his eyes. 

“I love you, Hermione, don’t forget that,” his words were rushed, and Hermione knew he was about to storm off to help their friend, and grabbed his wrist. 

“He said _Auxilium_ ,” she stressed, “That is the spell _I_ came up with, and if you think you can leave me here when I promised you that I would be there when any of you said that, you are sorely mistaken, Draco Malfoy.” Hermione knew Ron was confused and she could hear the questions he was dying to ask, he didn’t know about the shirts or the spell, but she had promised her little Slytherin family that she would be there for them, and she wasn’t planning on breaking that promise anytime soon. 

And before Draco could protest about how dangerous it was, _we’re in the middle of a bloody war, for Merlin’s sake, everything’s dangerous_ , she ran off to join Theo, leaving Draco to follow her, cursing. 

***

Harry was dead. Hermione knew he was the last Horcrux, she knew that he would sacrifice himself, _the bloody saint_ , but she still screamed when she saw Hagrid carrying her friend in his arms. 

Draco and Blaise held her back as she tried to run to him. Theo was holding Ron back, but it seemed more like he was holding him up, because Ron was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. 

“Granger, _stop!_ ” Blaise hissed, “You’re gonna get yourself killed, and then we’ll definitely lose this bloody war!” She froze then collapsed at his words, her weight supported by Draco.

Voldemort called Draco to his side, but he didn’t budge, wrapping an arm around Hermione defiantly. 

The next few minutes were a blur for Hermione.

Voldemort talking. 

Boy Who Lived. 

Dead. 

Neville. 

Harry.

And suddenly, everything exploded as everyone moved into action. Hermione heard Harry’s name, and looked over to Hagrid to see him gone. Her heart began racing with hope. _Please, please, let him be alive._

She turned around and started to fight, with Draco and Ron on either side of her, Blaise and Theo behind them, and she prayed to every god she knew that they would win. 

***

It was over. The war had ended, Voldemort was gone, and _Merlin,_ it was over.

With no more Horcruxes left, Voldemort had been defeated by Harry, and the Death Eaters were lost without their leader. 

There were casualties. Hermione’s heart went out to Teddy, who lost both of his parents today, and although Lavender Brown was never her favorite person, she mourned her loss. At least Remus was finally reunited with his childhood friends.

Walking through the castle, Hermione could see that it was in shambles. Wayward hexes and explosions had blown up multiple parts of the castle, and it would take a lot of work to restore it to its former glory. Professor McGonagall, Headmistress now, had told Hermione after the last Death Eater had been rounded up that she would recruit any former or current Hogwarts students over the summer to repair the damage. 

Hermione had already volunteered. And she signed up her three Slytherins. Hopefully, they wouldn’t hex her. 

Suddenly, she spotted her best friends across the hall. They were huddled around someone on the ground, along with the other Weasleys. 

Hermione’s heart, which had just begun to calm down after the battle, picked up again. 

_No, no, please no. Please, don’t let anyone else be dead._

She ran over to the people she considered her second family, and cried in relief. Fred was lying on the ground, his head propped up onto his mother’s lap. He was hurt, covered in scratches and wounds, but he was _alive_. At her cry, Fred’s eyes met hers. 

“Don’t worry, I’m not dead yet,” he joked, wincing as he tried to laugh. A mischievous look flashed through his eyes. “I guess I have your _boyfriend_ to thank for that. Speaking of, where is that tosser anyway? I didn’t get a chance to thank him. Free Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes products _for life_ , for that one.” She didn't know how Fred knew about her and Draco, but she didn't have time to think about it for long.

“I’d rather not get murdered by Granger, Weasley,” a voice drawled. Hermione let a grin take over her face. 

“You know me so well,” she praised, leaning into Draco’s body as he made his way next to her, followed by Theo and Blaise. The Weasleys tensed, uncertain about the Slytherins’ intentions. Ron and Harry, however, acknowledged their former enemies with a nod. 

“Yeah, we do, Granger,” Blaise piped up, “Which is why it didn’t come as a surprise when McGonagall came up to us and told us she’d see us soon for castle reparations. Wonder how that happened.” 

Hermione blushed. “Well, I didn’t think you lot would mind,” she said, shrugging. All three Slytherins rolled their eyes. 

“We can’t all have bleeding Gryffindor hearts, Granger,” Theo quipped. He turned his head towards Harry, “Or a suicidal savior complex.” Hermione, Ron, Draco, and Blaise snickered.

“Hey, my _suicidal savior complex_ saved all you tossers, so you should be thanking me,” Harry countered. The Weasleys, realizing that sometime during the war, alliances had shifted, began to drop their hard glares that had been aimed at the Slytherins, and returned their attention to Fred. 

Draco draped an arm over Hermione. She glanced up at him to find him already looking at her. A gentle smile had made its way onto his face, and it made him look a lot more like the seventeen year old he was. Hermione’s eyes softened, and she placed her hand on his cheek. She went up onto her toes and leaned in to kiss him-

“Just because you saved my life doesn’t mean I want to see _this_ , Malfoy,” Ron interjected, grumbling. Hermione looked at her friends, who both looked as if they swallowed a slug. Blaise snorted.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. Snogging is their favorite pastime.” Hermione waved her wand, sending a Tongue-Tying jinx to the dark-skinned wizard. His eyes narrowed at her.

“Be glad I didn’t aim for something a little,” Hermione cleared her throat, “ _lower_.” Theo slung an arm around Hermione, knocking Draco’s off, making the latter look at his friend indignantly. 

“This is why you’re my best friend, Hermione,” the brown-haired wizard said, drawing miffed looks from Harry and Ron. 

Hermione, realizing that she needed to speak up to keep the peace, shrugged out of Theo’s grip. “I love all of you equally, and you are _all_ my best friends, so stop fighting like first years.” Draco let out an annoyed noise. “Except you of course,” Hermione amended, finally leaning up and placing a chaste kiss on his lips. 

Harry and Ron groaned, and Hermione broke away from Draco and walked over to them, and threw an arm over both of them. “Come on, after all this, I think we deserve a drink, don’t you?” Blaise, who had finally removed the jinx, made a surprised noise. 

“Color me surprised, Granger, Miss Perfect isn’t so perfect,” he teased. 

“I’ve broken rules you don’t even know _exist_ , Zabini,” Hermione retorted. “How do you think these two,” she pointed at Harry and Ron, “snuck into the Slytherin common room in second year?”

“They _what_?” Draco blurted out, his eyes wide. The three Gryffindors laughed, heading out of the hall. The three Slytherins were quick to follow, interrogating Hermione. 

The six of them made their way out of the castle, looks of friendly annoyance and mirth on their faces. 

It wouldn’t be easy, and it would be a while before everything went back to normal after this, but things were looking up. They would be okay. 

For the first time in a long time, all was well.

**Author's Note:**

> Fred Weasley should not have died. Thank you for coming to my TedTalk. 
> 
> Also, I don't like Ron-bashing, I feel like with everything he's been through, he would be a lot more mature than a lot of fics depict him as. And Harry would definitely be more oblivious than Ron was. 
> 
> I'm thinking of writing a companion one-shot about eighth year, but I'm not sure, so leave a comment if you'd like that!


End file.
